...when the anti Christmas brigade are out and about preaching that Christmas is pagan! Well what about the names of the months of the year and the days of the week? We use those, well, daily/monthly! Should Christians change those names?
Months of the year:
January - named after the Roman god Janus
February - named after the Roman festival of purification - Februa
March - named after the Roman god of war - Mars
April - taken from the Latin word for open (as flowers do in spring) - aperire
May - named after the Greek goddess Maia
June - named after the Roman goddess Juno
July - named after Julius Caesar
August - named after Caesar Augustus
September - 7th month (in Roman calendar)
October - 8th month (in Roman calendar)
November - 9th month (in Roman calendar)
December - 10th month (in Roman calendar)
The days of the week:
Monday - Moon's Day
Tuesday - Tyr's Day (Tyr was a Germanic/Norse god of war and sky)
Wednesday - Wodin's Day (the Norse all-father god and master of runes)
Thursday - Thor's Day (Thor was the Norse god of battle and strength)
Friday - Frigg's Day (Odin's wife and goddess of fertility)
Saturday - Saturn's Day
Sunday - Sun Day
The above have pagan origins yet I don't hear any Christians kicking up a stink about those!
I celebrate the incarnation of Christ - not His birthday, just the fact He came from heaven (we don't know when He was born, but personally, I think a dank, dark, dreary time of year is a great time to celebrate The Light of the World bursting onto the scene to forgive our sins).
Hebrew Days of the week and their meanings
source [above and below]: http://www.yashanet.com/library/hebrew-days-and-months.html
Months of the year:
January - named after the Roman god Janus
February - named after the Roman festival of purification - Februa
March - named after the Roman god of war - Mars
April - taken from the Latin word for open (as flowers do in spring) - aperire
May - named after the Greek goddess Maia
June - named after the Roman goddess Juno
July - named after Julius Caesar
August - named after Caesar Augustus
September - 7th month (in Roman calendar)
October - 8th month (in Roman calendar)
November - 9th month (in Roman calendar)
December - 10th month (in Roman calendar)
The days of the week:
Monday - Moon's Day
Tuesday - Tyr's Day (Tyr was a Germanic/Norse god of war and sky)
Wednesday - Wodin's Day (the Norse all-father god and master of runes)
Thursday - Thor's Day (Thor was the Norse god of battle and strength)
Friday - Frigg's Day (Odin's wife and goddess of fertility)
Saturday - Saturn's Day
Sunday - Sun Day
The above have pagan origins yet I don't hear any Christians kicking up a stink about those!
I celebrate the incarnation of Christ - not His birthday, just the fact He came from heaven (we don't know when He was born, but personally, I think a dank, dark, dreary time of year is a great time to celebrate The Light of the World bursting onto the scene to forgive our sins).
Hebrew Days of the week and their meanings
| Sunday | Yom Reeshone יום רשון | First day |
| Monday | Yom Shaynee יום שיני | Second day |
| Tuesday | Yom Shlee´shee יום שלישי | Third day |
| Wednesday | Yom Revee´ee יום רביעי | Fourth day |
| Thursday | Yom Khah´mee´shee יום חמישי | Fifth day |
| Friday | Yom Shee´shee יום ששי | Sixth day |
| Saturday | Shabbat שבת | Rest |
source [above and below]: http://www.yashanet.com/library/hebrew-days-and-months.html
Babylonian vs. Biblical Calendars
This table is divided into two sections because of the changes made in the calendar as a result of the Babylonian exile. After the Jews were exiled from Judah to Babylonia in 586 B.C.E., they adopted Babylonian names for the months of the year. Nevertheless, they still have important meanings in whole scheme of things. Not only do most of the names of the Babylonian months have appropriate meanings, but there is also an important theme that applies to these months (Babylonian or Biblical).
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* Additional month added during Leap Years. About every 2nd or 3rd year.
There are 7 leap years in a 19 year cycle.
There are 7 leap years in a 19 year cycle.
